Our survey says…it’s not all about 2020 for the offshore workforce

Worley, a major provider of operations and maintenance (O&M) services in the North Sea, has revealed that job security carries more weight than any other factor for its offshore workforce.

In its recent offshore employee survey, carried out in conjunction with its ‘Employee Voice’ offshore workforce engagement forum, over half of its respondents (57%) believe ‘duration of contract’ is the key motivation when they consider employment opportunities.

These results come as little surprise in the wake of the Oil & Gas industry’s downturn which has brought much job uncertainty for the offshore workforce in recent years.

So, how is Worley approaching the challenge of meeting its offshore employees job security expectations?

Worley’s VP of UK Operations, Shaun Poll, advocates a long-term approach to its recruitment, regardless of contract duration.

“It’s common sense that our people will be at their best when they aren’t worried about their next job and the stresses that naturally arise from short term-contracts. But, we also must recognise that the nature of this type of work is typically contract driven and subject to market fluctuations.

“This doesn’t mean that we can ignore the issue. We typically employ around 1500 people offshore and it’s our responsibility to listen to our people and make sure we’re taking practical steps to support them as individuals.

“While we can’t always offer long term contracts to individuals, what we can do is establish best practices and systems to make sure we consistently reengage and redeploy talented people across our project portfolio.

“We’ve made great strides over the past 18 months in developing recruitment technology and improving the way we ‘pipeline’ talent to directly address this issue. A year on, we’re seeing encouraging results.”

Having hired over 2000 people in 2019 for trades work in the North Sea, Worley says more than 70% of these individuals were reengaged having worked for Worley previously.

Karl Noble, Appointed Person Lifting Operations (APLO), shares his experience as one of those redeployed with Worley, “I continue to come back to Worley when down-manned as I have built up good relationships with the people. I was given the opportunity to spend time in the office and saw a different side of things which gave me a far better appreciation for the challenges faced by my colleagues. Getting redeployed and progressing really keeps me motivated.”

Poll also recognises the importance of personal development as an additional ingredient for job security.

“We employ many talented people who didn’t start their careers in the offshore Oil & Gas industry. So, investing in developing our people at all levels is important to us and our customers.

With the planned shutdown and maintenance of the Forties Pipeline System (FPS), and many other North Sea assets this summer, the industry will see a spike in recruitment demand.

This will give an excellent opportunity for our experienced team to further develop their skills and progress in their careers, but also a chance for new talent to enter the market and gain vital experience in the offshore environment.”

To learn more about Worley, visit www.worley.com